How Open Source Can Upskill Your Team & Productivity

In the modern day landscape in business, technology is king. We rely on numerous different kinds of technology to run our business and there are even technologies/tools out there to test the performance of other technologies (find out here). So, as you can see, technology is absolutely instrumental in business today.

However, one type of technology in particular that has a lot to offer, and is quickly becoming more popular in the world of business, is open source software and technology. Open source software (also known as OSS) is software that has a publically accessible design, so anyone can change, study and share the technology with whoever they please.

With that in mind, this article is going to look at a few different ways that using open source software can take your team and the productivity of your company to the next level. We will also look at some of the many benefits that working with this type of software can bring to your business.

It is More Cost Effective

One of the biggest reasons to make the switch to open source software is how affordable it is. While many types of software for your business can cost hundreds (or thousands) of dollars a year, open source software is generally able to be used without paying a single dime. Even if the open source software isn’t free, it will likely be available for a fraction of the price of traditional options. Now, don’t think that because they are free (or cheap), open source software options are bad. They are just as featured, updated and supported as many of the other traditional options.

Source - Pixabay

Freeing up so much money can help you out in many different areas of business, as well. It can allow you to purchase more inventory, hire new staff, enhance training and so much more. Also, you could potentially take the cost savings from switching to OSS and use the money to run some workshops and teach your employees some new skills, which will make them more productive and driven to help your business succeed.

Thriving Communities That Will Empower and Educate Employees

Behind nearly every successful piece of open source software, is a large, dedicated and extremely passionate community. Whether people are contributing to the software, or simply writing helpful guides or answering questions, everyone has an important role. You can tell that the community truly cares not only about making their software as useful as possible, but also making sure that everyone using it has the best experience possible.

In addition to simply using the software, employees should be given the freedom to also participate in or contribute in the advancement of the software as well. This will not only teach employees how to use the technology or software better, but also give them a sense of pride for having contributed to such a helpful and popular piece of software. It is a win-win for everyone involved as your employees will learn new skills and become empowered through the education, and your company will get increased productivity and all-new software.

Open Source Software is More Secure

While everything being done digitally nowadays in business has had several benefits, everything isn’t always peaches and cream. One of the big negatives is the growing potential of security threats like hacks and security breaches. Not only can these lead to very expensive and inopportune downtime, but could also put personal or company info at stake, depending on the type of software or technology involved.

Source - Pixabay

Thankfully, open source software is generally more secure and you will have to worry less about these sorts of things. The big reason for this is the large and supportive community. With someone seemingly always checking or updating the software, it will be difficult for something unsavory to slip through the cracks without someone noticing and fixing the issue.

Also, using more secure software means less downtime and less dealing with potential breaches or outages, which will increase your companies productivity by default. Simply put, the more people looking at the code, the quicker they will be able to find the bug or threat. Now, of course, this is just a generalization, and you should always make sure to take necessary security precautions no matter the software you are using.

In conclusion, we hope that this blog post has been able to help you learn about some of the many different ways that using and/or contributing to open source software can help your team become more skilled and your productivity reach brand new heights. Of course, be sure to do your own independent research on the piece of OSS you want to use and make sure it is safe, supported, and reliable.

Have something to say about this article? Comment below or share it with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Disclaimer

Yeahhub.com does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any information’s, content or advertisements contained on, distributed through, or linked, downloaded or accessed from any of the services contained on this website, nor the quality of any products, information’s or any other material displayed,purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an advertisement or any other information’s or offer in or in connection with the services herein.